Kissel's go ahead home run lifts Bat Pats to 9-7 win

St. Catharine, Ky. -- The Patriot
baseball team put an end to their four game skid today when they got a come
from behind victory over Union (Ky.) at Edelen-Haydon Field.

Senior catcher,
Drew Kissel (Jeffersonville, Ind.) blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of
the eighth inning to break a 7-7 tie and give the Patriots (30-18) a 9-7
victory over the Bulldogs (24-22).

St. Catharine
threw out six different arms as James Davenport (Louisville, Ky.) took home the
win and Jake McCoy (Mesa, Ariz) picked up his sixth save of the season.
Davenport (1-2) tossed the eighth inning and allowed two hits, while McCoy
tossed a scoreless ninth.

Hector Quinones
(Barceloneta, PR) started the game and pitched four innings allowing four runs –
two earned – on four hits. Dylan Manley (Frankfort, Ky.) tossed a scoreless
fifth and Derek Jones (Mt. Washington, Ky.) started the sixth and didn’t allow
a hit.

After Union got
on the board with two runs in the first, the Patriots cut the deficit in half.
Hector Quinones ripped a two-out double and Will Broady (Greenville, Ky.) was
called upon to pinch run. Nicco Lollio (Brownstown, Mich.) made the score 2-1
with an RBI single.

Union added to
their lead with two more in the second, but St. Catharine made the score 4-2
after three innings. Alfredo Bohorquez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) led off the third
inning with a single and two batters later, Nicco Lollio doubled to score
Bohorquez.

The Patriots
came right back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hector Quinones and Tyler Devine (Harrodsburg, Ky.) both singled setting up Drew Kissel who roped a
triple to deep left-center scoring both Quinones and Devine to tie the game up
at 4-4.

Union took the
lead right back with three runs in the seventh inning off Conner Lindsay
(Nicholasville, Ky.). Lindsay got two quick outs, but he hit a batter and
allowed a single and a free pass to load the bases. He then allowed a bases
clearing double to give Union a 7-4 lead.

St. Catharine
cut the deficit to one after two runs in the seventh inning. Drew Kissel got a
one-out base knock and Evan Smith (Jacksonville, Fla.) reached on a walk. After
a ground out to advance the runners, Reid Battles (Denton, Texas) hit a two-run
single making the deficit 7-6.

In the eighth
inning, the Patriots tied it up when Tyler Devine reached on a fielder’s choice
and forced an errant throw from the Union second baseman that allowed Hector Quinones to score to tie the game at seven all.

With two out and
a runner on first, Drew Kissel stepped to the plate. Kissel quickly got down
0-2 in the count, but he blasted the third pitch he saw over the right field
fence for a two-run home run to give his team the 9-7 lead. McCoy then pitched
the ninth inning to seal the win.

St. Catharine returns
to Mid-South Conference play this weekend when they host Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
in a pivotal three-game series. The two teams are scheduled to play a single
game on Friday followed by a doubleheader on Saturday.